Not many dates are worthy of remembrance over a century-and-a-half later. The beginning or end of a war or the death of a nation’s leader might be on people’s radar for a few decades, maybe a century, but eventually the slow decay of time affects our collective memory. Protestants ought to remember October 8th, 1845, however. It was on this date that John Henry Newman (1801–90) converted to Roman Catholicism out of the Church of England. The ripples of this day still reach out to 2024, especially on the internet. A cursory look at X.com (formerly Twitter) reveals many modern-day Protestant converts to the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodoxy—it also reveals that the so-called cage stage is not a phenomenon limited to Calvinists. Many people are following the path of Newman: they are leaving Protestantism for either Rome or the East. This seems especially prevalent among young men. My own classis (Classis Southwest U.S. of the United Reformed Churches in North America) even appointed a committee to study Eastern Orthodoxy and why it was attractive to some who had converted out of our own churches.¹ While there are many reasons one may be drawn to Rome or Constantinople, one thread is almost always present: the call of history. More specifically, the desire to be in the church, historically speaking. Advocates of both the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodoxy claim to be the one, true, holy church that was founded by Christ and his apostles. As Newman once famously said, “To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant.”² It is in response to this claim (and others like it) that Gavin Ortlund has written What It Means to Be Protestant: The Case for an Always-Reforming Church. 

Ortlund’s Thesis and Plan

Ortlund’s working definition of Protestantism draws upon Philip Schaff (1819–93): it is “a renewal movement within the one true church” (4). Ortlund writes that “at the heart” of the movement “are the five solae” and other Protestant distinctives including belief in only two sacraments, lay reception of the Supper in both kinds, the universal priesthood of believers, the Protestant Old Testament canon, discipline as one of the marks of the church, an emphasis on preaching, clergy who can marry, and some other undefined doctrines (3–4).

All of this sheds light upon his thesis: Protestantism is to be commended “as first, a renewal of the gospel in the church; second, a return to the authority of Scripture; and third, a removal of historical accretions” (xx). Therefore, “Protestantism is well positioned to serve catholicity and renewal in the church” (5). He argues for this under three main headings: Protestantism and Catholicity (chs 1–4), Protestantism and Authority (chs 5–8), and Protestantism and History (chs 9–11). His “Conclusion” (219–24) is a helpful and pastoral appeal to those who are considering changing traditions, or at least those who are looking into the differences between Protestantism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Roman Catholicism. One of Ortlund’s main contentions, contra Newman, is this: “To be ‘deep in history’ was the whole rationale for Protestantism” (138). This comes to the fore especially in the third and final section of the book, where Ortlund argues that Protestantism has a superior claim to history, especially in light of the innovations of Eastern Orthodoxy and the Roman Catholic Church. A few other main contentions are: Protestantism sees the one true church existing in more than one institution; therefore, it has a better claim to catholicity (the first section) than the Roman Catholic Church or Eastern Orthodoxy do. The Bible is the highest (but not only) authority for Protestantism (the second section). Among other things, Ortlund desires this book to help Protestants “retrieve this more catholic and historical way of envisioning Protestantism” (144). 

Assessment

This book features a number of strengths. One of the most notable is something that is often (disappointingly) lacking in many inter-tradition discussions: Ortlund carefully outlines and defines necessary terms and concepts, and he also gives helpful illustrations and phrases in explaining them. For example, Ortlund writes “sola fide is the ‘what’ of the Reformation; sola Scriptura, the ‘how.’ The first is an object, the second a method. The first is a precious jewel; the second, the safe that protects it” (11). He often makes important distinctions, as well. For example, he has a helpful discussion on the distinction between Scripture as the inspired ontological Word of God on the one hand and the proclamation of the gospel as the Word of God on the other (76). Another helpful (and quite polemical) distinction occurs in Ortlund’s discussion of error in private judgments versus error in ecclesiastical judgments: “It is one thing to be able to err; it is another to be yoked to error” (100).

Second, What It Means to Be Protestant is not written for an academic audience (xviii). This is a strength insofar as it is accessible for its intended audience: those considering switching traditions, or those who want to know more about their own tradition. This book is a modest 235 pages long, including the introduction (xi–xxiii)—long enough to have admirable substance but short enough to encourage non-academics to read it. In this vein, Ortlund writes clearly and cogently—there is really no part of this book where the main argument is unclear.

Third, his desire to avoid caricatures is commendable, and he seems to succeed. Ortlund has researched extensively, and whether or not one agrees with his conclusions, it seems obvious that this is a good-faith example of apologetic dialogue.

Fourth, Ortlund succeeds in showing the biblical foundation, historical pedigree, and logical consistency of Protestantism over against Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. This book will be a conversation starter for years to come for anyone interested in these things (which should be everyone). His discussion of “historical depth” as either majority depth or ancient depth is excellent (150ff).

Finally, Ortlund’s two case studies (the assumption of Mary and the veneration of icons) are very strong and show readers how the claims of Protestantism vis-à-vis the other two traditions actually works out on the ground. Both of these chapters are well-researched and clear—they should be required reading for anyone considering joining an Eastern church or the Roman communion.

There are some weaknesses in this book, as well. None of them are fatal to his argument, and this reviewer hopes they will lead to further discussion in the future, which is one of the reasons Ortlund wrote this book in the first place. First, this reviewer is not convinced that the Mercersburg Theology is the best representation of Protestantism. Still, the “four principles of Mercersburg Theology” (5–11) are things that can be affirmed by Protestants more generally, with the possible exception of the third principle.

That third principle is this: “The Glory and Strength of Protestantism Lies in Continual Reforming” (10). On its face this seems self-evident: Protestants believe that the Bible is the only infallible norm (72). Therefore whenever beliefs/practices contradict Scripture they ought to be reformed according to the Word of God. Yet Schaff saw Protestantism as “incomplete,” as Ortlund notes (11). Ortlund’s contention that the Reformers held a similar view to Schaff’s (i.e., semper reformanda) rests on quotations of magisterial Reformers and post-Reformation theologians who seem to be looking at connection to the past as the mark of true ecclesiastical catholicity rather than future adjustment (see chapter 9). As Ortlund himself summarizes, the Reformers’ “goal was to return to ancient Christianity, to a version prior to the intrusion of various accretions” (138). Additionally, this full phrase, ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda (the church reformed, always reforming), is a later invention in the history of Protestantism, and it is not certain that the magisterial Reformers would have agreed with it as it is commonly understood today.³

Second, Ortlund wants more interaction with “historical, official, confessional” Protestant doctrine (xvii). Despite this, he does not often go to the Protestant confessional documents to make his case. In the body of this book, the Augsburg Confession and Thirty-Nine Articles are mentioned three times each, and the Westminster Confession is mentioned once.⁴ It may have been helpful to rely on what Protestants have said in the documents they actually produced as standards to articulate their beliefs.

Finally, (and related) arguing for mere Protestantism (ii) is good and even admirable, but eventually one may have to argue for one of its various expressions as most faithful. For example, would Anglicans be comfortable with Ortlund’s argument that Protestants (full-stop) recognize a church wherever Word and sacrament are, whether or not there has been apostolic laying on of hands (31)? What about Reformed churches that do not recognize Baptist churches as true churches (many Reformed churches do recognize Baptist churches, but not all). These things do not destroy Ortlund’s argument, but they may need to be teased out in more detail.

Recommendation

This reviewer recommends this book to pastors, elders, seminarians, and all who are either considering the various Christian traditions or know someone going through the process. The sections countering Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy are a bit stronger than the sections outlining what Protestantism actually is, but perhaps this is to be expected when the former two traditions are predicated on institutional unity and the latter is not. Still, Ortlund’s positive sections on Protestantism are not weak by any means, and his thoughts are helpful and will doubtless lead to more discussion in these areas. What It Means to be Protestant is the work of a scholar and churchman who believes Protestantism is true and good. As Ortlund says, “If you are going to be a Christian of some kind or another, it makes the most sense to be a Protestant” (220). May this book influence a generation of ecclesiastical wanderers to either settle or stay within Protestantism. Take up and read, because this book is just the beginning—this discussion will continue, and we ought to thank Ortlund for his helpful contribution to it.

Notes

1. See URCNA classis SWUS, “Report of the Committee Appointed by URCNA Classis SWUS to Study Eastern Orthodoxy.”
2. John Henry Newman, An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, 7th ed. (London: Longmans, Green, & Co., 1890), 8. Cited in Gavin Ortlund, What It Means to Be Protestant: The Case for an Always-Reforming Church (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Reflective, 2024), 135.
3. See R. Scott Clark, “Always Abusing Semper Reformanda.” See also Michael S. Horton, “Reformed And Always Reforming,” in Always Reformed: Essays in Honor of W. Robert Godfrey, ed. R. Scott Clark and Joel E. Kim (Escondido: Westminster Seminary California, 2012).
4. The Savoy Declaration, the 1689 Second London Confession, the Second Helvetic Confession, the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Canons of Dordt are never mentioned.

©Christopher Smith. All Rights Reserved.

Gavin Ortlund,  What It Means to Be Protestant: The Case for an Always-Reforming Church (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2024).

RESOURCES

• Subscribe To The Heidelblog!
• Download the HeidelApp on Apple App Store or Google Play
• The Heidelblog Resource Page
• Heidelmedia Resources
• The Ecumenical Creeds
• The Reformed Confessions
• The Heidelberg Catechism
• Recovering the Reformed Confession (Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing, 2008)
• Why I Am A Christian
• What Must A Christian Believe?
• Reviews and Notices
• Resources On Christian Nationalism
• Heidelblog Contributors
• Support Heidelmedia: use the donate button or send a check to

Heidelberg Reformation Association
1637 E. Valley Parkway #391
Escondido CA 92027
USA
The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization

Post authored by:

• Christopher Smith

  

  Christopher Smith is originally from Bellevue, Nebraska. A graduate of Westminster Seminary California (M.Div 2019; MA (Historical Theology) 2020). He is associate pastor of Phoenix URC in the United Reformed Churches of North America. He is currently pursuing a ThM in systematic theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary.

  More by Christopher Smith ›